Transpiration and biomass production of the bioenergy crop Giant Knotweed Igniscum under various supplies of water and nutrients

• Published in: Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics
• Main Authors: Mantovani, Dario, Veste, Maik, Gypser, Stella, Halke, Christian, Koning, Laurie, Freese, Dirk, Lebzien, Stefan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2014
• Subjects: Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes; Mechanical Engineering; Water Science and Technology; Sakhalin
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/johh-2014-0028; http://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/johh/62/4/article-p316.xml; https://www.sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/johh-2014-0028

Abstract Soil water availability, nutrient supply and climatic conditions are key factors for plant production. For a sustainable integration of bioenergy plants into agricultural systems, detailed studies on their water uses and growth performances are needed. The new bioenergy plant Igniscum Candy is a cultivar of the Sakhalin Knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis), which is characterized by a high annual biomass production. For the determination of transpiration-yield relations at the whole plant level we used wicked lysimeters at multiple irrigation levels associated with the soil water availability (25, 35, 70, 100%) and nitrogen fertilization (0, 50, 100, 150 kg N ha -1 ). Leaf transpiration and net photosynthesis were determined with a portable minicuvette system. The maximum mean transpiration rate was 10.6 mmol m -2 s -1 for well-watered plants, while the mean net photosynthesis was 9.1 μmol m -2 s -1 . The cumulative transpiration of the plants during the growing seasons varied between 49 l (drought stressed) and 141 l (well-watered) per plant. The calculated transpiration coefficient for Fallopia over all of the treatments applied was 485.6 l kg -1 . The transpiration-yield relation of Igniscum is comparable to rye and barley. Its growth performance making Fallopia a potentially good second generation bioenergy crop.